Southwest cotton producers get new RF varieties for 2008

Southwest cotton farmers will have new varieties to choose as they plan for the 2008 crop, but they'll find some familiar names in different places after mergers and acquisitions the past year moved old standard seed labels to new companies.

Stoneville cottonseed, for instance, now comes from FiberMax. NexGen varieties are part of Americot offerings. And Delta and Pine Land is now part of Monsanto.

Regardless of the transitions, however, farmers will benefit from many new Roundup Ready Flex and Liberty Link varieties, more Bollgard II offerings and improved packages for yield and fiber quality.

Below are some of the new varieties adapted to Southwest (Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Kansas) growing conditions. The seed companies provide variety information.

All-Tex

All-Tex Seed, Levelland, Texas, offers six new Roundup Ready Flex varieties and one new conventional variety for 2008.

ATX 66330 RF is a medium maturity, smooth leaf, picker variety that's highly adaptable to irrigated and dryland acreage in Central and South Texas. Micronaire runs from 3.8 to 4.6, staple ranges from 1.14 to 1.17, and strength is 28 to 30.

ATX 65333 RF is a medium maturity picker variety, well suited to irrigated and dryland operations in the Texas High Plains and Oklahoma. It is a smooth leaf variety with micronaire running from 3.6 to 4.6. Staple ranges from 1.08 to 1.13, and strength is 27 to 30.

ATX 65018 RF is a semi-smooth leaf, picker type with superior fiber and yield potential. Micronaire averages from 3.5 to 4.9; staple is 1.08 to 1.10, and strength ranges from 27 to 30.

ATX 65016 RF, a medium maturity, semi-smooth leaf, picker cotton adapts to both irrigated and dryland operations. Fiber quality is very good; micronaire ranges from 3.8 to 4.6; staple is 1.13 to 1.17, and strength is 28 to 30.

ATX 45015 RF is medium maturity, semi-smooth leaf and is a picker/stripper variety that is semi-storm tolerant. Yield potential is exceptional. Micronaire ranges from 3.6 to 4.6; staple is 1.08 to 1.10, and strength is 27 to 30.

ATX 45009 RF is an early-medium picker/stripper type that is semi-storm tolerant and is adaptable to dryland and irrigated conditions. It has a 3.8 to 4.6 micronaire range, 1.08 to 1.10 staple, and strength at 28 to 30.

New conventional variety from All-Tex.

ATX 06102 is a medium early, moderately hairy cotton variety that adapts well to irrigated and dryland acreage in the Texas High Plains, the Texas Gulf Coast and Oklahoma. Micronaire runs from 3.5 to 4.9; staple is 1.07 to 1.09, and strength ranges from 25 to 31.

For 2008, Americot offers two new NexGen Bollgard II/Roundup Ready Flex products and three new NexGen Roundup Ready Flex cottons:

NG 3348 B2RF is an early-medium maturing cotton with an open plant canopy and averages 36 to 38 staple, 3.7 to 4.5 mic, and 28 to 29 strength. It has the ability to perform under either irrigated or dryland systems, and is well suited for growers in the High Plains region south of Plainview, the Rolling Plains, and Southwestern Oklahoma.

NG 2549 B2RF is an early maturing cotton with a compact plant canopy and averages 36 to 37 staple, 3.8 to 4.7 mic, and 27.5 to 29 strength. It performs similarly to NG 2448 R, and will perform well under either dryland or irrigated conditions. Storm-tolerant bolls and excellent quality fiber make this product adaptable for High Plains production, especially north of Lubbock.

NG 3410 RF is an early-medium maturing cotton with an open plant canopy and averages 36 to 38 staple, 3.6 to 4.4 mic, and 28 to 29 strength. It performs similarly to NG 3348 B2RF, will perform under either irrigated or dryland production systems, and is well suited for growers in the High Plains region south of Plainview, the Rolling Plains, and Southwestern Oklahoma.

NG 1551 RF is a very early maturing cotton with a compact plant canopy, very large storm proof bolls and averages 36 to 38 staple, 3.7 to 4.7 mic, and 29+ strength. This variety is better suited to the northern production areas of the High Plains, northern Oklahoma, and Kansas, or where the growing season is limited.

NG 1556 RF is also a very early maturing cotton with a compact plant canopy, very large storm proof bolls and averages 36 to 38 staple, 3.5 to 4.6 mic, and 29+ strength. It is better suited to the northern areas of the High Plains, northern Oklahoma, and Kansas, or where the growing season is limited.

Another Americot Bollgard II/Roundup Ready choice for 2008 is AM 1532 B2RF, which offers an excellent fiber package and yield potential, is widely adapted and performs well in the High Plains. It is well suited for high input acres, drip and circles. This variety is medium maturing with 36 to 38 staple, 3.6 to 4.5 mic, and 26 to 29 strength.

FiberMax

FiberMax offers a new liberty link variety and five new Stoneville products.

FM 835LLB2 is a medium to full maturity okra-leaf, Liberty Link, Bollgard II variety that features efficient water use and vigorous early season growth. Adaptation is good to South Texas. This selection produces excellent fiber quality under various growing conditions. It has very long staple, with a very strong strength rating and micronaire is at base level.

Now a part of FiberMax, Stoneville offers new varieties for 2008 including:

ST 4427B2RF, a broadly adaptable Bollgard II/Roundup Ready Flex variety proven to perform under a wide range of environments with excellent yield potential. This is an early to mid-maturity variety with moderate height characteristics, which can be monitored and controlled with plant growth regulators. It is a hairy leaf selection with micronaire at 4.1, 36 staple, and 28 strength rating.

ST 4498B2RF is an early to mid-maturity Bollgard II/Roundup Ready Flex product that provides excellent yield potential and fiber-quality characteristics. It has excellent early season vigor. It features medium height, compact shape, and is responsive to plant growth regulators. This is a hairy leaf variety with 4.3 micronaire, 37 staple, and 30 strength ratings.

ST 4596B2RF is an early to mid-maturity Bollgard II/Roundup Ready Flex variety with high yield potential and an excellent fiber package. It has similar plant type and management characteristics to ST 4554B2RF. It is a hairy leaf variety with staple at 38, strength at 30, and micronaire at 4.6.

ST 4678B2RF is an early to mid-maturity Bollgard II/Roundup Ready Flex variety with early season vigor. It is moderate in height and features a total package of yield and fiber qualities. It is a hairy leaf selection with staple at 38, strength at 29, and micronaire at 4.6

ST 5327B2RF is a mid-maturity Bollgard II/Roundup Ready Flex variety that has performed well across the Cotton Belt. Its stovepipe fruiting habit makes it an excellent choice in all row widths, including narrow-row configurations. It does not tend to have extremely aggressive growth. However, height should be monitored and appropriately controlled. This semi-smooth leaf variety has 36 staple, 30 strength, and 4.2 micronaire ratings.

Delta and Pine Land

Delta and Pine Land has four new varieties adapted to Southwest growing conditions.

DP 141 B2RF is a mid-maturity, semi-smooth leaf variety with a consistently high yield potential and excellent fiber quality potential and, based on trials, holds excellent yield potential in the Southwestern market. It has shown potential to deliver high yield and excellent fiber quality in the Texas High Plains.

DP 161 B2RF is a mid to full-maturity, smooth leaf variety with medium to large seed size and excellent fiber quality potential. It has demonstrated good tolerance to the excessive heat stress and good tolerance to verticillium wilt.

DP 104 B2RF was bred for West Texas, Kansas and Oklahoma and is an early maturity semi-smooth leaf variety with consistently high yield potential. It has shown excellent resilience to the West Texas weather conditions of 2007. It has shown the ability to be early maturing without being too determinate and still maintain high yield potential.

DP 174 RF, a mid-maturity variety has wide adaptation, outstanding yield potential and a good fiber quality package. Testing also shows tolerance to root knot nematodes. This variety has demonstrated outstanding lint yield and very good fiber quality across many growing regions.

PhytoGen

PhytoGen offers two new varieties for Southwest growers.

PHY 315 is an early maturity Roundup Ready Flex variety with good vigor and broad adaptation. Plant height is medium-tall. It has high yield potential with very good to excellent fiber quality. Leaf is semi-smooth. Storm tolerance is good. Micronaire is 4.6 with staple at 1.14, and strength at 29.4

PHY 375 is an early maturity WideStrike and Roundup Ready Flex stacked variety with excellent vigor, broad adaptation, high yield potential and very good to excellent fiber quality. It is a semi-smooth leaf type with good storm tolerance. Micronaire is 4.5, staple is 1.13, and strength is 29.2. It is a medium-tall selection.